Can cooling machine



1949. D. I; LEONARD 2,477,992

CAN COOLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 10, 1947 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. N04440 5.450M420 Aug. 2, 1949. D. E. LEONARD CAN COOLING MACHINE 8Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1947 I M v k I III II I I l l I l I I l lll l l r ,E III hv Rn OIYMPD Aug. 2, 1949.

Filed Feb. 10, 1947 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 041/: E. Lea/V420 Aug. 2, 1949. D.E. LEONARD 2,477,992

CAN COOLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 10, 19 47 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 041//@ 5L5/v4e0 2, 1949. D. E. LEONARD 2,477,992

CAN COOLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 10, 1947 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 DAN/lb E.LEONA'EO Aug. 1949. D. E. LEONARD 2,477,992

CAN COOLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 10, 1947 8 Shets-Sheet 6 DAV/D f. LEON4DAug. 2, 1949. D. E. LEONARD CAN COOLING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 FiledFeb. 10, 1947 'IiI...

- INVENTOR. 04l/l0 E LEO/Vfl/QU CAN COOLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 10, 1947I43 i :j L 1 g z r j A 63 /63 27 FIG. 5 ZZ- I44 28 25 /50 v I] I n u I II u I!!! I) W I I N V EN TOR. 04r/a f. L E

Patented Aug. 2, 1949 OFFICE CAN COOLING MACHINE David E. Leonard,

Fla", a corporation Orlando, Fla., assignor to American MachineryCorporation,

of Florida Orlando,

Application February 10,1947, Serial No. 727,650 19 Claims. (Cl. 62-104) This invention relates to a machine for cooling canned produceimmediately after it has been packed and sealed.

In packing plants that process produce in cans or jars it is desirableto cool the containers and their contents immediately after they havebeen sealed so that the containers can be packed in shipping caseswithout danger of scorching the contents. It is customary to transferthe containers from a sealing machine to a coolin machine which reducesthe temperature of the containers and their-contents to the neighborhoodof room temperature, after which the cans are labeled and packed inshipping cases.

The conventional can cooling machine comprises a belt upon which thecans may roll, a conveyor immediately above the belt for mgving the cansalong its length, can guides, such as pipes or angle irons, positionedabove the conveyor to direct the cans in rows, and a device for sprayingor dripping water onto the cans to cool the surfaces thereof. The beltis driven at a faster speed than the conveyor so that the cans will becaused to revolve rapidly to agitate their contents into contact withthe cooled can walls. These machines are usually custom-built at thepacking plant because they must necessarily have a considerable lengthto provide the required treatment for producing the desired coolingefiect.

Heretofore, the processors have been restricted in the use of thesecooling machines to the treatment of one type of produce and it has beennecessary to duplicate the machines to properly cool cans of other typesof produce. For instance, where the can cooler is used exclusively oncitrus or similar free-flowing juices, it is comparatively simple todetermine the requirements of a. machine for obtaining maximumefliciency under a fairly stable density of fluid and with a fairlyconstant water temperature. To build an eflicient machine capable ofcooling hot cans containing citrus juices, apple juices, tomato juices,canned tomatoes, corn or applesauce, is an entirely different matter,however, as the power to so stir the contents as to successively exposethe contents'to the can or jar walls being cooled requires a flexibilityin the machine that has heretofore been lacking.

The varying density of different types of produce contents requires theability to change the speed with which the can is turned in order tobring all of the contents into contact with the can walls. The size ofthe can is another important factor, as a large can takes a longer 2time to cool than the small one and requires more Water cooling action.There is also the problem of water temperature and water supply,particularly in certain climates and in the warmer seasons. The amountof cold water required can be reduced if the maximum amount of heattransfer from the cans to the water can be obtained. It has been foundthat this desired maximum efficiency may be attained by collecting,recirculating and reapplying an appreciable amount of used water whichhas been subjected to the least heat transfer action.

There is also the problem of the most emcient method of applying theWater to the"can in order to obtain the maximum heat transfer. Pressuresprays would appear to break down the clinging of thewater to the canthrough surface tension, but the rapid application and removal of thewater does not gain the maximum heat transfer that is obtainablel from agiven amount of water. It has been ascertained that dropping water instreams or large drops and rollingthe can in a shallow depth of waterresults in more eificient cooling. To obtain this dropping effect, thewater is flowed along a perforated pan that permits the water to run ordrip through the perforations in small streams or large drops.

In order to eliminate an excessive use of water through a perforatedpan, the holes in the pan must be held to a comparatively small size.However, the small size of the holes creates another problem as theholes tend to clog because of rusting of their edges and the clingingthereto of minute water-borne matter, thereby requiring frequentcleaning and reopening. After experimenting with various sizes and typesof holes it has been found that a semicircular opening formed byangularly depressing a semicircular lip or tongue that is directedupstream with respect to the flow of water is practically ideal, aswater flowing over this opening carries substantially all sediment pastthe opening and, consequently, the tendency to clog is eliminated.

Although the use of a perforated pan with the proper type ofperforations provides the best method of application of the water to thecans, it is important that the feeding of the water onto the pan beproperly controlled to spread an even dropping of water. The pan must beat a proper level or angle and the feed from the supply pipe must besuch as to produce an accurate spread of the water over the perforatedpan. It has been the practice to simply flow the water from a singlesupply nozzle onto the pan, but this arrangement fails to provide thenecessary spread of the water. Accordingly, in the present instance, thepan is adjustably mounted so that it may be accurately levelled to theproper degree and the water is fed in both directions and fromlaterally-spaced nozzles located along the length of. the pan so thatthe jets being thrown from opposite directions counteract each othersforce.

The use of a perforated pan for spraying the water does not necessarilyobtain maximum cooling efficiency, however, as the water that passesthrough the perforations falls perpendicularly onto the outercircumferential surfaces of the can and little or no water is applied tothe ends of the cans. This difficulty has been overcome .by forming thecan guides of vertically-positioned, elongated strips extendinglongitudinally of the line of can travel and having outwardly flared orangular surfaces along or adjacent their bottom edges. The falling wateris deflected against the can ends by the flared surfaces whereas watersplashing from the cans is thrown back against the can ends by thevertical surfaces.

Having in mind the defects of the prior art apparatus, it is an objectof this invention to provide a can cooling machine that may becommercially prefabricated, that is flexible in its construction and useand has adjustabiiity as to the size of the machine and as to thearrangement of the machine to accommodate different can sizes, types ofproduce and times and speeds of treatment. It is another object of theinvention to obtain maximum heat transfer efflciency from a given amountof water by collecting, recirculating and respraying an appreciableamount of used water which has been subjected to the least heat transferaction. It is still another object of the invention to supply and applythe cooling water so as to obtain maximum heat transfer from the can tothe water. It is contemplated that the machine will comprise a uniqueconstruction that permits an economy of materials and parts andaccomplishes superior operating results.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the inventionare set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The inventionitself, however, both as to its organization and its method ofoperation, will best be understood from the following description of aspecific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein like reference characters indicate like partsthroughout and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view in elevation of the basic workingelements of a can cooling machine;

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of a complete machine incorporatingthe present invention; v

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are side views in elevation of individual sections ofthe machine shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side view in elevation of a constant drivemechanism for the machine;

Fig. 7 is a side view in elevation of a variable drive mechanism for themachine;

Fig. 8 is an end view in elevation of the drive end of the machine;

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 7; h

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken longitudinallythrough the body of the machine;

shown in Fig. '13;

Fig. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view corresponding toa portion of Fig. 11 and showing the ends of the gratings in elevation;

Fig. 16 is an end view in elevation of a drip pan hanger;

Fig. 17 is a side view in hanger;

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary plan view of the bottom of a drip pan showingthe preferred type of openings therein;

Fig. 19 is a cross sectional view taken on line I9l9 of Fig. 18;

Fig. 20 is a side view in elevation of the water distributing system andshowing the drip pan in cross section; and

Fig. 21 is a view in perspective of the can supelevation of a drip panporting belt, conveyor and guide.

Referring specifically to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates,diagrammatically, the basic working features of the can cooling machineincorporating the present invention. The cans C are fed, on their sides,onto a belt 25 and moved thereover by a conveyor 26. The belt 25 ismoved rather rapidly and is preferably mounted at a slight incline,usually from one-half to one inch per foot. Due to the inertia of thecans C, they tend to spin in a fixed position on the belt 25 rather thanto advance with it. The conveyor 25 may be of a conventional typecomprising spaced, endless chains 21 that are connected periodically byrods 28; but in this case, the rods 28 are spaced apart a considerablygreater distance than the diameter of a can 0, or of a plurality ofcans, that may be disposed between two adjacent rods 28 as particularlyshown in Figures 2 and 21. The chains 21 are positioned adjacent theedges of the belt 25 and slightly above the top run of the belt so thattheir connecting rods overlie the belt 25 to contact the cans C andadvance them up the belt 25. The conveyor 26 is driven at a lesser speedthan the belt 25 so that the cans C are caused to spin even while theyare being advanced in order that all of their contents will be agitatedinto contact with the can walls. Due to the differential action of thebelt 25 and the conveyor 26 and the spacing of adjacent conveyor rods28, the cans C spin on the belt 25 and more-or-less float back and forthbetween the conveyor rods 28. The reversing or to and fro movement inthe floating action further agitates the can contents.

The cans are guided in one or more straight lines on the belt 25 byelongated longitudinally extending can guides 29 that hold the cans in astraight line as they are advanced along the belt 25. In order to coolthe cans C and their contents, water is dropped onto them as they spinand float on the belt 25 from a spray or drip pan 30 whose bottomsurface is perforated with a large number of small holes that cause thewater to drop on the cans C in small streams or large drops. The wateris supplied to the pan 50 by a supply pipe 31 that has nozzles 32 10- Tcated periodically along its length so as to maintain a shallow film ofwater over the entire surface of the pan in order that it will be fed toand dropped through all of the perforations in the bottom of the panThese elements are mounted in a machine that is shown more-or-lessdiagrammatically in Fig. 2 and which comprises a sump tank having adischarge outlet 36, a drum 31' mounted in the tank 35 and forsupporting the lower end of the belt 25, a frame 38 mounted on top ofthe tank 35, and through which a transverse can feeding belt 39 may passand upon which may be mounted a can turn 40 and pairs of sprockets 4|and 42 for supporting the lower end of the conveyor chains 21. The cansC are normally fed in an upright position on the feed belt 39 and areturned to a horizontal position by the can turn 40, which may be ofconventional design, and fed onto the lower end of the spinner belt 25.The sprockets 42 are positioned so as to locate the conveyor 26 beneaththe can turn 40 but above the belt 25 so that'its cross bars 28 willpick up the cans C as soon as they leave the can turn 40.

A trough 43 extends from the upper front end of the tank 35 and issurmounted by a framework 44. The spinner belt 25 and lower conveyor runof the conveyor 26 are positioned in the trough 43, whereas the canguides 29, drip pan 30 and water supply line 3| are supported within theframework 44. The trough 43 is supported by standards 45 at spacedintervals along its length and it is positioned at a slight upwardincline to a supporting frame upon which the belt and conveyor drives.are also mounted. The belt 25 extends over the drum 5| that is drivenby a belt or chain 52 from a motor 53. The spinner belt 25 extendsbeneath the drum 5| and over a pair of spaced rollers 62 and 63 andunder an adjustable roller 64 for tightening the belt 25. The conveyorchains 21 extend over sprockets 54 and 55, the sprockets 54 being drivenby a belt or chain 56 from a shaft 51 having a gear 58 mounted thereonand in mesh with a gear 59 that is mounted on a shaft 69 that is drivenby a belt or chain 6| from the motor 53. When the cans C are conveyedalong the length of the belt 25 to the end of the run at the drum 5|they may be discharged therefrom in any suitable manner, as byconventional can turn 65 that will deliver them in an upright positionto a cross conveyorbelt 66.

In order to provide the desired flexibility of construction and use, thepresent invention contemplates the construction of a machine that isformer. in sections which may be prefabricated and shipped to thepacking plant and then assembled. In order to facilitate theconstruction of the machine, it is preferred that the sections becomposed of standard, uniform parts and have a standard length as, forinstance, of twenty feet each. This type of construction will enable theproduce processor to assemble a machine of the desired length toproperly process certain types of canned produceand then insert orremove sections, as desired, to alter the machine in order to processother types of canned produce. I

Accordingly, the machine illustrated in Fig. 2 is shown as comprising afront section H1, including the sump tank 35, a plurality of middlesections 1|, a recirculating section 12 and the drive section 50. Inorder to illustrate these sections in greater detail, the front sectionHI is front section Hi, the trough 43,'framework 44 and drip pan 39 areall somewhat shorter in length than their counterparts in a centersection II, in order to accommodate the length of the sump tank 35 whilemaintaining the same overall length for the section 10 as that of theother sections. In addition, the water supply line 3| of the section 19is considerably shorter than in the other sections as there issufllcient flow of water 3 down the length of the its lower end.

The adjoining ends of each of the sections are terminated in an outerframe l5, formed of angle irons or the like, and having outwardlyextending flanges 16, as shown in Fig. 3, so that adjoining flanges 16on abutting ends of the sections may be bolted together, as shown inFig. 4. The supporting legs 45 may be provided with U-shaped channels"for receiving the downwardly extending flanges 16 across the bottom ofthe trough 43, and bolts or pins may be inserted through the channels 11and flanges 16 to hold them rigidly together. These legs or standards 45may be fabricated in predetermined heights in order to support thesections at predetermined angles. The elements of the sections, such asthe trough 43, frames 44, drip pan 36, and the can guides 29, allterminate flush with the end frames 16. The water supply lines 3|, whilebeing ofexactly the same length, terminate at 18, just short of one endof the section, and at 19, just beyond the other end of the section, sothat their couplings 80 will be free of the end frames 15 and readilyaccessible for coupling or uncoupling.

The recirculating section 12 is substantially identical to the centersection H with the exception that it is provided with a collecting tank90 beneath the trough 43, a branch pipe 9| between the water line 3| andthe tank 90, a valve 92 in the branch 9| and a valve 93 in the mainwater line 3| below the branch 9|, a drain 94 from the tank 90 to a pump95 and a supply connection 96 between the pump 95 and the main waterline 3| below the shutoff valve 93, and a valve 91 in the line 96. Thisrecirculating of the water is pan-30 to properly supply I one of theadvantageous features of the present invention. The cans C are quite hotwhen they are delivered to the spinner belt 25, but they and theircontents are gradually cooled as they are spun and advanced up theincline of the belt by the water dropping from the pan 36 so that by thetime they reach the upper end of the belt their temperature has beenreduced to the neighborhood of room temperature or slightly thereabove.

Consequently, the fresh cold water that contacts the cooled cans C atthe upper end of the belt 25, while absorbing heat from the cans, is notheated to a material degreebecause the cans have lost a considerableamount of their heat before coming into contact with this water.Therefore, this used water, although slightly heated, has not absorbedthe maximum heat of which it is capable so that by reusing it at thelower end, or beginning of the machine, it can still remove aconsiderable amount of the heat from the cans which are Just deliveredto the belt and therefore at their hottest. The slightly heated reusedwater absorbs the most intense heat from the cans and reduces theirtemperature considerably so that the most efficient results are obtainedfrom the fresh cold water when the cans are advanced to that point inthe machine.

The recirculating section is so designed that it may be cut out and coldwater only employed or a mixture of recirculated and fresh watersupplied to the lower end of the machine. If all of the water is to berecirculated, the valve 93 in the main supply line 3| is closed and thevalve 92 in the branch line 9| is also closed. The water that has beendropped through the pan 30 above the collecting tank 90 is collected inthe trough 43 from which it flows into the collecting tank 90. The waterin the tank 90 is then withdrawn through the drain 94 by the pump 95 andfed through the line 96 back into the main supply line 3| below theshutoff valve 93. On the other hand, it may be desirable to partiallycool the used water that is collected in the tank 90 by adding aproportion of fresh water, in which event the valve 92 in the branchline 9| is opened while the shutoff valve 93 is kept closed. Likewise,the shutofl valve 93 may be at least partially opened to supply freshwater to mix in the lower main line 3| with recirculated water from thesupply line 96. If, however, it is preferred to use fresh waterexclusively, the shutoff valve 93 may be opened and the valves 92 and 91both closed so that the water supply will run straight through the mainline 3| and the used water, after filling the tank 90 will flow down thelower end of the trough 43 to the sump tank 35 from which it isdischarged through the opening 42.

The machine shown in Fig. 2 is composed in sequence of a front sectionI0, an intermediate section II, a recirculating section I2, two moreintermediate sections II and the drive section or frame 50. Thisassembly provides a so-called one hundred foot machine, but it will beunderstood that more, or less, of the intermediate sections Il may beemployed and the recirculating section 12 may be omitted. Consequently,the processor may obtain a front section I0, a drive section 50 and thenas many or as few of the intermediate sections II as are required tofill his needs and, if desired, one or more of the recirculatingsections I2. Furthermore, the drive section 50 may comprise a constantdrive arrangement, as illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein both the belt 25and the conveyor 26 are driven from the same motor 53, as shown ingreater detail in Fig. 6, or he may obtain a variable drive arrangement,as shown in detail in Figs. 7, 8 and 9.

As the mounting and driving of the belt 25 is substantially identical inboth cases, it is shown in detail only in Fig. 7, whereas Fig. 6 is afragmentary view showing only the conveyor drive which is identical tothat shown in Fig. 2 except that it is shown in greater detail andillustrates an adjustable mounting for the sprockets 55 to facilitatethe tightening or loosening of the chains 21 of the conveyor 26. Thesprockets 55 are mounted on a shaft I which is supported by bearingblocks IOI that are mounted to slide between spaced rails I02 and areprovided with threaded apertures to receive elongated bolts I03 that areseated in the end uprights I04 of the supporting frame 60. By turningthe bolts I03, the bearing blocks IOI are threaded along the rails I02to vary the position of the sprockets 55 and thereby take up the slackor relieve the ten- 8 construction is identical in both types of drives.

As shown in greater detail in Fig. .7, the belt 25 is supported by thedrum 51 that is mounted upon a shaft 0 which also supports a sprocket orpulley III that is drivingly engaged by the belt or chain 52. The beltthen runs over the roller 62 which is mounted for adjustment in ahorizontal direction by being journaled in bearing blocks II2 which isslidably supported between rails H3 and threadably engaged by a fixedbolt II4. From the roller 62 the belt runs over the roller 64 which ismounted for vertical adjustment by being journaled in bearing blocks II!that are slidably mounted between upright rails H6 and threadablyengaged by a vertically positioned bolt III. In addition to the verticaladjustment, the roller 64 is depressed under tension by interposingsprings I I8 between the heads II9 of the bolts III and the supportingportions of the frame H5. The springs II6 tend to depress the bolts IIIand thereby draw the roller 64 against the loop of the belt 25. Amodified can delivery is shown in Fig. 7 which comprises a ramp 65'adjacent the drum SI and down which the cans C may roll onto alongitudinally extending conveyor belt 66'.

As previously stated, it is frequently advantageous to vary the relativespeeds of the belt 26 and the conveyor 26 so as to increase or decreasethe time and degree of treatment of the cans. Of course, this could beobtained by interposing a shiftable gear transmission between the motor53 and the drive sprockets 64, but a simplified and less expensiveconstruction is obtained by the use of a separate variable-speed motorfor driving the conveyor 26. It is preferred that the belt 25 be drivenat a more-or-less constant speed as it must be moved fast enough tocause the cans to spin and any speed over this minimum is relativelyineffective as far as agitating the can contents is concerned.Therefore, it is preferable to vary the speed of the movement of thecans along the belt while they are spinning.

The variable drive is shown in Fig. 7 wherein it may be seen that thesprockets 54 are driven by the chain 66 which in turn is driven by asprocket I25 that is comounted with a sprocket I26 on a shaft I21, thesprocket I26 being driven by a chain I28 that is driven by a sprocketI23 mounted on a shaft I30 which also supports a sprocket I3I that isdriven by a chain I32 which engages a sprocket I33 comounted on a shaftI34 with a fly wheel I35 that is driven by a belt I36 from the drive ofa variable-speed motor I31. The motor I3'| is slidably mounted andadjustably positioned by a threaded rod I38 to vary the tension of thebelt I36. This type of drive is also preferred for use in very longmachines where the conveyor may be subject to a considerable loadbecause of the reduction through the intermediate sprockets and chains.

As previously stated, the detailed construction of the corelated partsof the various sections of the machine'are identical. This is bestillustrated by Figs. 10 and 11 which show a fragmentary, longitudinalcross section and a transverse cross section respectively. As may beseen from these figures, the trough 43 may be formed of sheet metal andits walls may be smooth with the exception of diagonally disposed ridgesI43 formed upwardly in its bottom wall, as also shown in Fig. 12, toform a support for the lower return run of the belt 25 and to space thebelt from the bottom wall of the trough to prevent undue fricsion of theconveyor chains 21. This feature of tion between the belt and the bottomwall and also to prevent the 9 possible adhering of the belt to thebottom wall. v

v Uprights I are fixed at spaced intervals to the opposed sidewalls ofthe trough 43 and these uprights are spaced by a lurality of crossbraces extending therebetween. A short distance above the bottom wall ofthe troiiglr 43, a cross brace I 42, such as an angle iron, is arrangedto support removable gratings I43 for supporting the upper run of thebelt 25,'and fixed longitudinal guides I44 formed of angle iron andwhich serve as dams along the edges of the belt 25 to build up a shallowdepth of water on the belt in which the cans may roll. Slightly abovethe top of the trough 43 is a slotted cross brace I45, formed by twoopposed angle irons, for supporting. can guides 29. The slotted crossbrace I45 permits adjustment of the can guides transversely of themachine to accommodate cans .of difierent sizes or a different number ofcan runs. A cross brace I 41 is spaced above the slotted brace I45 tosupport the spray pan 38, by means of hangers, and the main water supplyline 3|.

A top cross brace I48 forms a tie between the tops of the uprights I Mand also supports longitudinal channels I49 which form chain guides forthe chains 21 of the conveyor 26. Chain guides I58 are fixed within thetrough 43 to the uprights I 4| a short distance above the bottom crossbrace I42 so as to properly space the cross bars 28 of the conveyor 26above the belt 25. The cross section shown in Fig. 11 is taken throughthe recirculating section but is identical in every respect to any otherportion of the machine along its length except that the tank 98 is fixedto the bottom of the trough 43 and the bottom wall of the trough isprovided with a series of openings I'55 along its outer edges in thespaces between its side walls and the edges of the belt 25. Bypositioning the drain openings I55 in this manner, as also shown in Fig.12, there is no danger of the belt overlapping them to partially closethe openings or to create friction between the edges of the openings I55and the belt '25.

The gratings I43 are preferably formed in two longitudinal sections sothat they may be lifted from either side with the least amount oftrouble to gain access to the lower run of the belt 25 and the bottom ofthe trough 43. These gratings I43 may also be conveniently formed inlongitudinal sections that will span the distance only between twospaced cross supports I42. In order to properly position and anchor thegratings I43, the cross supports I42 are provided with longitudinallyextending upstanding ridges I68 that form end abutmentsv for thegratings, and in their centers the braces I42 may be provided withtransversely extending plates I6I which will overlie the protruding endsI62of laterally extending bars I63 fixed to'the bottom inner corners ofthe gratings I43. The fixed plates IBI. hold down the ends of thegratings I43 but only at their inner sides so as to permit the liftingof the outer sides when it is desired to, gain access to the lower runof the belt 25' or the bottomof the trough 43.

In order to provide flexibility and adjustability of the drip pans 30they 'may be supported by adjustable hangers I88, as best. shown inFigs. 16 and 1'1. These hangers. comprise U-shaped strips I8I adapted toreceive and support the drip pan 38 or the ends thereof and which arenested withinand fixed to a U bolt I82. The upwardly turned ends of theU bolt I82 may extend through ment, jets of water J and J' l0 holesinthe crossfihember I41 and be secured by nuts I83. Thus the pan 38 maybeadjusted vertically by threading the'nuts I83 along the ends of thebolts I82 and thereby'permit the proper leveling or angulation of thedrip pan 38 to obtain the desired spreading and flow of water thereinand dropping therethrough. As .previously stated, the buttoms of thedrip pans 38 are usually perforated with a large numberof smallapertures but this has proved 'a disadvantage due to rusting andclogging by foreign matter in the water.

It has now been found that this may be overcome by forming theperforations in a semicircular shape and by only partially opening them,as best shown in Figs. 18 and 19. The perforations I85 are formed bypunching only one, side of a round hole and depressing a lip or tongueI86 at a very slight angle so that the holes I 85 are not completelyopened. The openings I81 formed in this manner are positioned upstreamwith respect to the flow of the water in the pan 38 so that the waterwill tend to flow over the edge I85 and up the tongue I88 and past theopening I 81 so that it has to reverse its fiow down the tongue I88 topass through the openings I81. By this arrangement, any foreign matterin the water is carried past the opening I81 which is therefor kept openand does not become clogged.

It has been the custom to feed the water onto the drip pans 38 from asingle nozzle and let the water now where it may over the bottom of thepan, or supply a suillcient quantity of water to flood the pan. In thefirst instance, the water is not properly spread over the bottom of thepan and in the second instance, considerable waste is involved. Toovercome this, the feed lines 32 from the supply line 3I are dividedinto laterally extending lines I98 that terminate in T sections I9I thatare so positioned. tothrow jets in opposite directions longitudinally ofthe drip pan 38, as best shown in Figs.' 11 and 28.

Each, of the feed lines 32 may be provided with a valve I92 forcontrolling the volume of water fed through the nozzles I93. By thisarrangeare thrown in both directions and on both sides of the pan 38 sothat the water is evenly fed over the bottom of the pan 38. It wouldappear that the jets J which are thrown upstream would tend to cause thewater to back up and flow directly into the openings I81, but thisaction is overcome by the opposed downstream jets J' which counteractthe force of the upstream jets J and cause the water to spread outevenly over the surface=of the pan.

When the cooling water is dropped straight down onto the cans from thepan 38, there is very little of it that contacts the ends of the cansand, consequently, the cooling action is somewhat retarded. Inaccordance with the present invention, as best shown .in Fig. 21, thisdifficulty is overcome by the provision of can guides 29 which havelongitudinally extending vertically positioned web portions I 18providing vertical walls I 1| which are terminated at or near v theirlower edges in flared or angularly positioned surfaces I12. The webportion I18 provides a vertical wall "I by which. water splashingfromthe cans will be thrown back against theends ofthe Water fallingvertically willv be deflected by the flared orangularly positionedsurfaces I12 against the ends of the cans. In actual practice, the canguides 29 are composed of elongated strips that form the web portions I18 and square bars I13 are secured.at,one of'thelr corners, to the lowerthe dams or des edge of the strips I so that the two upper sides of thebars I13 form the flared angular surfaces I'll. The bars I13 alsoreinforce the strips I12 and prevent their flexing in a longitudinaldirection. It will be understood, of course, that the bars may be ofother shapes as long as they provide the flared surfaces or, for thematter, the flared surfaces may be formed in other manners.

The strips I12 have a series of vertically positioned bolts I13 securedin spaced relation along their top edges, which bolts may extend throughthe slots in the cross members I45 to act as hangers for positioning thecan guides 28. By this arrangement, the can guides 29 may be adiustedvertically by threading the nuts I14 along the bolts I13 and they may beadjusted transversely of the machine by sliding the bolts I13 along theslots in the cross members I45. Lock nuts I15 may be threaded on thebolts I13 beneath the cross members I" to clamp the bolts I13 firmly inposition. In order to support the abutting. ends of two longitudinallyaligned can guides 29, a hanger bolt I13 may be secured to an invertedchannel member I16 which is adapted to straddle and be joined to theabutting ends of the guide strips I12 by bolts I11 extending througheach end of the channel member I16 and through the end of the respectiveguide strip I12.

In view of the foregoing description, it will be seen that the coolingwater will be dropped evenly from the entire width of the pan 30 ontothe cans C. The major portion of this water will fall directly upon thespinning sides of the cans but a portion will be deflected and splashedonto the ends of the cans. While only a center guide 29 is shown in Fig.21, it will be understood that guides 29 will be positioned along theoutsides of the can rows, as shown in Fig. 11. The cooling of the endsof the cans increases the efficiency of the cooling action by ten tofifteen per cent. In addition to the dropping of water on the cans, theyare cooled by spinning in a shallow flow of water that is retained onthe spinner belt by I. As best shown in Fig. 21, the dams I extend ashort distance above the surface of the spinner belt 25 and they arepositioned so as to substantially abut or contact the edges of the beltto preclude excessive drainage therebetween and to retain the water in ashallow layer on the belt. Thus, the cans are cooled by the droppingwater and also by spinning in a shallow depth of water.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shownand described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof arepossible. The invention therefore is not to be restricted except insofaras is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appendedclaims.

That which is claimed as new is:

1. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises a conveyor for spinning the containers as they are transportedthereby to agitate the contents there of into contact with the containerwalls, and a spray pan above said conveyor and having holes in thebottom thereof for dropping water onto the containers to cool theirwalls and contents, the

holes in said spray pan being small and formed.

by the depression of lips to create openings below the surface of thepan with their edges directed upstream of the flow of water in said panso that water-borne matter will flow over said openings and therebypreclude their becoming clogged.

2. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises a conand contents, and

veyor for spinning the containers as they are transported thereby toagitate the contents thereof into contact with the container walls. anda spray pan above said conveyor and having holes in the bottom thereoffor dropping water onto the containers to cool their walls and contents,the holes in said spray pan being small and formed by the depression ofsemicircular lips to create openings below the surface of the pan thatare semicircular in form with their convex edges directed upstream ofthe flow of water in said pan so that water-borne matter will flowaround and over said openings and thereby preclude their becomingclogged.

3. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises a conveyor for spinning the containers as they are transportedthereby to agitate the contents thereof into contact with the containerwalls, a spray pan above said conveyor and having holes in the bottomthereof for dropping water onto the containers to cool their walls andcontents, and a water supply system mounted above said pan and includinga plurality of transversely spaced nozzles, each of which is arranged todischarge water in opposite directions longitudinally of said pan, setsof said transversely spaced nozzles being spaced longitudinally alongsaid pan so that the jets from said nozzles are in opposed relation toneutralize each others force and maintain an even depth of water overthe entire area of said pan.

4. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises a conveyor for spinning the containers as they are transportedthereby to agitate their contents into contact with the walls thereofwhile water is dropped onto the containers to cool their walls andcontents, and guides extending longitudinally of said conveyor and forguiding said containers in rows, said guides having vertical surfacesadjacent the upper portions of and above said containers to deflectsplashed water onto the ends of said containers and having flared orangular surfaces below the tops of said containers to deflect fallingwater onto the ends of said containers to cool the container ends andthereby expedite the cooling of their contents.

5. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises a conveyor for spinning the containers as they are transportedthereby to agitate their contents into contact with the walls thereofwhile water is dropped onto the containers to cool their walls guidesextending longitudinally of said conveyor and for guiding saidcontainers in rows, each of said guides including a vertical web portionproviding vertical surfaces adjacent the upper portions of and abovesaid containers to reflect splashed water onto the ends of saidcontainers and bars secured to the bottom of said web to brace said weband providing flared or angular surfaces below the tops of saidcontainers to deflect falling water onto the ends of said containers tocool the container ends and thereby expedite the cooling of theircontents.

6. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises a conveyor for spinning the containers as they are transportedthereby to agitate their contents into contact with the walls thereofwhile water is dropped onto said containers to cool their walls andcontents, support members positioned above said conveyor, guidesextending longitudinally of said conveyor and for guiding saidcontainers to said support members to space said guides from saidconveyor, said support members extending transversely of said conveyorto permit the spacing of said guides relative to each other to vary thewidth and number of container rows in accordance with the size of thecontainers being cooled.

7. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises a conveyor for spinning the containers as they are transportedthereby to agitate their contents into contact with the walls thereofwhile water is dropped onto said containers to cool their walls andcontents, support members positioned above said conveyor, guidesextending longitudinally of said conveyor and for guiding saidcontainers in rows, and threaded hangers fixed to said guides andadapted to be releasably and adjustably bolted to said support membersto space said guides from said conveyor, said support members havingslots to receive said hangers and extending transversely of saidconveyor to permit the spacing of said guides relative to each other tovary the width and number of container rows in accordance with the sizeof the containers bein cooled. v

8. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises a conveyor for spinning the containers as they are transportedthereby to agitate the contents thereof into contact with the containerwalls, support members positioned above said conveyor, a spray or drippan which is U-shaped in cross section and has small holes in the bottomthereof to permit the dropping of water therethrough, and hangers beingsuspended from said support members and supporting said drip pan abovesaid conveyor so that the water dropped thereby falls onto thecontainers on said conveyor, said hangers including U-shaped bracketsadapted to removably receive said pan or abutting ends of adjoining pansand also including vertically extending threaded members on oppositesides of said brackets and for adjustably bolting to said supportmembers so that said pan may be hung at predetermined levels along thelength thereof.

9. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises a conveyor for spinning the containers as they are transportedthereby to agitate the contents thereof into contact with the containerwalls, support members positioned above said conveyor, a spray or drippan which is U-shaped in cross section and has small holes in the bottomthereof to permit the dropping of water therethrough, and hangers beingsuspended from said support members and supporting said drip pan abovesaid conveyor so that the water dropped thereby falls onto thecontainers on said conveyor, said hangers including U-shaped bracketsadapted to removably receive said pan or abutting ends of adjoiningpans, said brackets being nested within U bolts which may be adjustablybolted to said support members so that said pan may be hung atpredetermined levels along the length thereof.

.10. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises a conveyor including a belt forsupporting and spinning thecontainers as they are transported thereby to agitate their contentsinto contact with the walls thereof while water is dropped onto saidcontainers to cool their walls and contents, and vertically extendingguides positioned on either side of said belt and substantially incontact with its edges to prevent water from passing freely therebetweenand to retain a shallow depth of water on said belt and in contact withsaid containers.

11. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises a conveyor including a belt for supporting and spin ning thecontainers as they are transported thereby to agitate their contentsinto contact with the walls thereof while water is dropped onto saidcontainers to cool their walls and contents, a plurality of transverselyextending support members spaced longitudinally beneath said belt,longitudinally divided panels extending between and mounted on saidsupport members and for supporting said belt in a plane, small elongatedplates centrallymounted transversely of said support members, and barsfixed to the undersides and extending laterally from the inner cornersof said panels to underlie said plates and anchor said panels whilepermitting the outer sides of said panels to be lifted to gain access tothe area beneath said belt.

12. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises an endless conveyor for spinning the containers as they aretransported thereby to agitate their contents into contact with thewalls thereof, said conveyor being mounted in a trough with its lowerreturn run supported by the bottom of said trough, a, water supply abovesaid conveyor for dropping water onto the containers to cool their wallsand contents, said water being collected by said trough, a tank beneathsaid trough and in communication therewith by means of apertures in thebottom of said trough and adjacent the sides thereof beyond the edges ofsaid lower conveyor run, said tank being spaced from the discharge endof the machine so that the water collected therein is only partiallyheated from contact with containers that are at least partially cooled,and a recirculating system in cooperative relationship with said tankfor supplying at least a part of the collected water to the receivingend of the machine for dropping on newly-supplied and relativelyuncooled containers.

13. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises a, belt for supporting a row of rollable containers on theirsides, a water system for dropping water upon the containers onsaidbelt, a conveyor above said belt for rolling said containers along saidbelt, a power system for driving said belt at a speed that causes saidcontainers to spin on said belt and thereby agitate their contents intocontact with the walls thereof, and a variable power system for drivingsaid conveyor at a variably-controlled speed less than that of the beltto vary the rate of advance of said containers and control the degree ofcooling treatment received by them from the water.

14. A machine for cooling newly-packed rollable containers of produceandwhich comprises a belt mounted at a slight incline and for supporting arow of rollable containers on their sides, a water system for droppingwater on the containers on said belt, a conveyor above said belt forrolling said containers along said belt and up the incline thereof andhaving spaced container confining openings to receive said containerstherein and each of considerably greater length longitudinally of theconveyor than the diameters of the containers confined therein, a powersystem for-driving said belt at a speed,

in conjunction with said incline, that causes said containers to spin onsaid belt and to move to and fro within the confines of said openingswhile being advanced by said conveyor thereby agitating the contents ofthe containers into, contact with the walls thereof, and a variablepower system for driving said conveyor at a. variablycontrolled speedless than that of said belt to vary the rate of advance of saidcontainers and control the degree of cooling treatment received by themfrom the water.

15. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises an elongated trough, a frame mounted above said trough, panelsmounted horizontally in said trough and; adapted to support a belt forsupporting a plurality of containers in rows, chain guides mounted oneither side of said trough and above said panels for supporting thechains of an endless conveyor for advancing the containers along thebelt, chain guides on top of said frame for guiding the return run ofsaid conveyor, can guides supported by said frame above the path of theconveyor and longitudinally thereof to guide the containers in rows onthe belt, a spray pan supported by said frame above said can guides todrop water on the containers, a water supply system mounted on saidframe for supplying water to said spray pan, a sump tank at one end ofthe machine and in communication with said trough, and a drive system atthe other end of the machine for driving the belt and the conveyor, saidmachine being composed of a plurality of longitudinal sections each ofwhich is of a predetermined length and of substantially identicalconstruction with the exception of the end sections which include thesump tank and drive systems respectively, said sections having flangesat their ends that are adapted to be removably secured together to forma unitary structure and which permits the assembly of a machine ofvariable length.

16. A machine for cooling newly-packed containers of produce and whichcomprises an elongated trough, a frame mounted above said 4 trough,panels mounted horizontally in said trough and adapted to support a beltfor supporting a plurality of containers in rows, belt guides mounted insaid trough alongside of said panels to guide the belt, chain guidesmounted on either side of said trough and above said panels forsupporting the chains of an endless conveyor for advancing thecontainers along the belt, chain guides on top of said frame for guidingthe return run of said conveyor, can guides supported by said frameabove the path. of the conveyor and longitudinally thereof to guide thecontainers in rows on the belt, a spray pan supported by said frameabove said can guides to 18 longitudinal sections each of which are of apredetermined equal length and of substantially identical constructionwith the exception of the end sections which include the sump tank and 5drive systems respectively, said sections having flanges at their endsthat are adapted to be removably secured together to form a unitarystructure and which permits the assembly of a machine of variablelength, and members for supporting said machine at the Junction pointsof said sections and adapted to removably receive the flanges ofadjoining sections, said members having variable and predeterminedheights so that they may be positioned to support said machine at apredetermined angle.

ning said containers in a shallow depth of water to agitate theircontents into contact with the cooled container walls.

18. In a machine for conveying cylindrical cans, a belt upon which thecans are placed where their sides are in contacting relation therewith,means for moving the belt longitudinally of its length, a conveyoroverlying the belt in the plane of the cans on the belt and havin spacedportions between which one or more of the cans may be confined and ofconsiderably greater distance apart than the diameters of the cansreceived therebetween so that the cans may move to and fro between saidspaced portions, and means for moving said conveyor at relatively lowerspeeds than said belt whereby the cans are caused to spin upon theiraxes and move to and fro while being advanced through said conveyingmachine.

19. In a machine for conveying rollable ob- 40 jects, a belt upon whichthe objects are placed in rollable contacting relation therewith, meansmoving said belt longitudinally of its length, a conveyor overlying thebelt, means for actuating said conveyor at a, speed less than that ofsaid belt, said conveyor having means contacting said objects to advancethem along the belt in the direction of the movement of the belt whilebeing spun by said belt, said object contacting means on the conveyorbeing positioned to allow the object to move back and forth relative tothe conveyor while being advanced through said conveying machine.

DAVID E. LEONARD.

o REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS drop water on the containers, a water supplyNumber Name Dat system mounted on said frame for supplying wa- 175,291Lount Mar. 28, 1876 ter to said spray pan, a sump tank at one and 7,385Bright Feb. 5, 1901 of the machine and in communication with said1,570,2 5 Fooks Jan. 19, 1926 trough, a drive system at the other end ofthe 2,256,745 Magnuson Sept. 23, 1941 machine for driving the belt andthe conveyor, 2,295,846 Horner Sept. 15, 1942 said machine beingcomposed-of a plurality of Disclaimer 2,47 7 ,992.-Da'vz'd E. Leonard,Orlando, Fla. CAN COOLING MACHINE. Patent dated Aug. 2, 1949. Disclaimerfiled Jan. 12, 1953, by the inventor and the assignee, AmericanMachinery Corporation.

Hereby enter this disclaimer to claims 10, 13, 14, 18, and 19 of saidpatent.

[Ofiicz'al Gazette February 17, 1953.]

